Researchers at Freie Universität Berlin and the Ruhr-Universität Bochum have uncovered a crucial reaction principle of hydrogen-producing enzymes. Teams led by Dr. Ulf-Peter Apfel in Bochum and Dr. Sven T. Stripp at Freie Universität investigated the production of molecular hydrogen in single-cell green algae. They were able to demonstrate how the enzyme succeeds in transferring two electrons in succession to two hydrogen ions and thereby assume stable intermediate states. Hydrogen gas is viewed as the energy source of the future. Thus, there is considerable industrial interest in elucidating the mechanism of biological production. The findings were published in the latest issue of the journal Angewandte Chemie.